


more powerful than

by stardating



Series: when going through a storm [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: ADHD, Adopted Peter Parker, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Education, Learning Disabilities, M/M, School, Slow Burn, Teacher Steve Rogers, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, single parent tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26781736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardating/pseuds/stardating
Summary: The first step to solving a problem is often times admitting that one has a problem. However, when it comes to things like ADHD, ‘problem’ is much harder to define.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: when going through a storm [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1838563
Comments: 2
Kudos: 82





	more powerful than

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this installment’s different perspective! I have been enjoying the development of this verse a lot, and the exploration of Tony’s and Peter’s father-son relationship, but I promise the next piece will focus more on Steve and Tony. Thank you all for reading and coming along with me for this ride!

“I have ADHD.”

Peter just blurted it out in front of MJ and Ned.

Ned paused in eating his lunch and MJ glanced up from the book she was reading. The rest of the cafeteria continued as normal, with shouts and chatting and eating, but it was like time had paused for a moment around their small table.

Since he had been diagnosed with ADHD and anxiety, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of Peter’s shoulders. He wasn’t fidgety and impatient because he was a bad student. He wasn’t forgetful because he was careless or thoughtless. He didn’t easily follow directions or rules because he thought he knew better or was just disrespectful.

His brain was just wired differently and he couldn’t concentrate like most others. It meant he had to take medicine and work hard to incorporate routines into his day, but there was nothing wrong with him. There was nothing bad about him either.

Therapy was also helping a lot with those last two things and other negative mindsets.

“Oh, okay,” Ned said, looking a little uncomfortable. Peter knew it was because he didn’t know what to say, not because he actually minded.

MJ put her book down. “ADHD is fairly common. Your dad say anything about him having it too?”

Peter startled. “Uh. I don’t know. Why do you say that?”

She gave a shrug. “You two might not look like each other, but you behave pretty similarly. There’s also a strong chance that ADHD runs in the family. His generation is more likely to have more people undiagnosed because it wasn’t understood as well back when he was in school.”

Peter thought about it for a few moments.

He and his father did share a lot of similarities: both of them had a lot of energy, fidgeted a lot, could bounce from one topic to another, and had a habit of losing track of time. Aunt Pepper had described to him that his father used to be constantly late and forgot about deadlines, or would go into his workshop and not come out for days. If not for JARVIS and other tools at his disposal, his bad habits would have likely continued to escalate. Sometimes they did that, working on projects together long after Peter was supposed to have gone to bed. They did their best to keep it to weekends, but sometimes they slipped up on a Sunday or Tuesday evening.

“Ever since finding out about you, he’s done his best to be the father you deserve,” Pepper had told him fondly. “And I haven’t seen him happier.”

Maybe his father did have ADHD and was undiagnosed. He wondered how people treated him, remembering foster parents getting frustrated with him and some teachers from previous schools labeling him as a ‘problem child’ with ‘behavioral issues’. They would sit him in the back of the classroom, give him detention for forgetting his homework, and eventually leave him behind. Sure, some teachers tried, but there weren’t always enough resources for everyone and with the amount of times he changed schools because he got shuffled somewhere else …

He hoped that his dad had private tutors who were sympathetic or were willing to try different learning techniques or something. Peter wouldn’t wish his experiences on anyone.

This would be something he would have to bring up when he got home again.

“Is that why you’ve moved seats in class and are allowed to have your phone on your desk?” Ned asked. “Do those things help?”

Peter nodded. “Yeah. I use a bunch of alarms and reminders to keep me in track and to help me remember to do things, like writing down homework or taking my medication.”

“I’ve heard not a lot of people like medication,” Ned added. “How is it working for you? Is that okay to ask?”

Peter nodded. “It’s okay. I think the medication is helping a lot. It took a little while to adjust to, but when I take it, it’s like my whole body calms down. I’m not as distracted anymore by little things and I can focus on the stuff that would usually bore me.”

Ned smiled. “That’s good. I hated seeing you so twitchy and not knowing how to help.”

“Thanks man.”

MJ returned to her book, but Peter noticed that her smile was a bit wider.

“So, you hear about the newest Star Wars movie?” Ned asked.

“Yeah! I cannot believe the direction they are supposedly doing in!”

“I know, right? It makes no sense!”

Lunch dissolved into discussions about various plot points, fandom wars, and quickly stuffing their mouths and rushing off to class before they were late. But despite that, bringing up the possibility that his father had ADHD too nagged at the back of his mind for the rest of the day.

* * *

“Alright, out with it.”

Peter jumped out of his skin and his screwdriver dropped to the floor with a clatter.

“W-What?” he asked.

Tony fixed him with an unamused look. “Come on. Something is going on, so out with it. Is someone teasing you again? Is a teacher being a jerk?”

Peter shook his head. “No. I actually told Ned and MJ about me having ADHD.”

“Oh,” Tony said, a little surprised. “Uh, how did that go? Well, I take it?”

“Yeah. They understood. I didn’t have to explain it too much. They were more concerned with it helping me or not.”

It was kind of a relief that was his friends’ focus. He was pretty sure he could describe symptoms and other measures of treatment and management, even ramble about the brain chemistry aspects of it if he really had to, but that … they just accepted it was really nice.

Tony smiled and Peter felt a warm feeling in his chest. It died a little, as he remembered what MJ had suggested. What he wanted to ask.

“Dad, is it possible that you have ADHD too?”

Someone could hear a pin drop in the room.

“…probably,” Tony finally said, his shoulders sagging and his hands stilling. “You had to have gotten it from somewhere, but I don’t know about your mom’s medical history. But I’ve been doing a lot of thinking since you’ve been diagnosed.”

Peter picked up his screwdriver and fidgeted with it. He wasn’t sure to say.

“Well. That’s okay. I mean, no one knows for sure if ADHD is genetic. I just … noticed some stuff, but it looks like you got it handled? I’m sorry, I’m probably making this worse.”

“Oh, Petey,” Tony murmured. He motioned for Peter to come over and hugged him once he did. “It’s alright. Like I said, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. But I want to focus on you. I’ve been dealing with how my brain works for literal decades. It’s normal for me. You’re still adjusting and are getting the help you need.”

Peter leaned against Tony, sighing. “Okay. You okay?”

Tony pressed his cheek against the top of Peter’s head. “Of course I am. And you will be too.”

Peter smiled and hugged his father closer.

Yeah. He was.


End file.
